Bold
by YuukoAzmasaki
Summary: She hated him for separating them, for using her as his slave, for the many things he's done to the holy land but what happens if he is her only way to salvation? Set in the ancient times.
1. Chapter 1

Bold

**This was something I thought up and needed to write despite exams or I'll never be able to focus on studying. So here is my hopefully only 4 part of the story. Enjoy this Shisuisaku centric story, leave a review on whether I am too winding around and again, enjoy.**

Part I

She had promised, vowed vehemently that she would do anything to escape from his clutches of tyranny. He laughed at her, telling her that any attempts of escape was futile because the number of guards strictly guarding the parameter vastly outnumbered her and the vicious wild life would tear her apart bit by bit if she made a wrong move in their unknown habitat.

"Your reign over this land will soon be over. I guarantee you that."

"Because of a certain prophecy you heard from the soothsayer? His fortune tellings could hardly be trusted. Besides, we Uchiha don't bend to the rules imposed by fate but merely shape our own."

"Your arrogance will be your downfall, young prince," she spat out, the intense hate for him boiled in her being as she struggled against the metallic chains holding her down to the cold floor.

He laughed at her again and held her by the chin roughly, bringing her heated glare to meet his calm, smirking expression. Slowly, he brought his face closer, letting his breath ghost over her pale, bruised cheeks and relished the feeling of her slight shiver that trembled throughout her body.

He brought his face closer to her ear, and whispered in a voice akin to liquid gold to convince her, to seduce her, to make her give in to him. "Well then princess, shouldn't we entertain each other until then?"

"Someone of your status interested in someone as low as me? Surely, your tastes had gone down the drain, _sire," _she quipped rather sarcastically, pulling back and letting him see the anger still resident in her green eyes.

He laughed at her, feeling amused that she brushed his suggestive invite so easily and rather harshly. Feeling the need to toy with his food, he sat on her and pushed her down forcefully, grabbing her wrists so that she couldn't use her brute force to escape, not that her punches would affect him.

Using the bandanna to tie her wrists tight, his hands begin roaming up and down her figure- feeling the smooth expanse of skin of her taut arms, tracing little circles over her it as his hands enjoyed the slimness of her waist and the soft swelling of her luscious hips that she hid under her modest dress while she wriggled unwantedly on the floor, disgusted.

She panicked, seeing his tall build now bend down towards her, his lips above her own before he moved them along the sides of her face, placing small kisses on her cheeks and making her abhor him more. She closed her eyes and sucked her lips in as she felt his lips slowly ghost over her own and his breath warming her cold cheeks. At this moment, she desperately prayed to god for an intervention, a convenient miracle.

He pulled back, watched her face contort in confusion and relief before summoning the guards to take her away from the luxury of his chambers and into her decrepit cell where she struggled, thrashed around, screamed at both the guards and him to free her which he responded to such tenacity with a cheeky wave of his hand.

He turned around and walked to to the window, overseeing the ground that was once the pride of the Fire Country now stripped of its former glory, dyed red with blood of the soldiers who fought against him.

His strategy in conquering the ancient yet powerful city had worked accordingly- He surrounded the king's private town with his soldiers from every direction and stealthily made his way to the king's study where he found the king sleeping in his study, vulnerable. With one swipe of his sword, the king's head had been rid of its body.

After the beheading, he himself made his way to town and joined his men in fighting against the King's forces, quickly overpowering them because of their exhaustion from their previous battle against his forces just a few days ago. Although they had won the battle before that, he won the war.

Despite the exhaustion on their side, he found that some soldiers were quite a handful to deal with. Mainly, the blonde who cleverly used tricks to fool his troops to fall in a pit while the ravenette steadily dispatched one-by-one with every graceful yet deadly slash of his blade. It was in this battle to stop these delinquents where he met her, the pink haired beauty.

Where the raven-haired warrior had a regal elegance in the way he fought, her's was brash, unforgiving and most of all, purely raw strength. She had fought side by side her comrades, maneuvering seamlessly through their attacks with flexible ease and smoothly landed hits by using a combo of kicks and punches that were fast and relentless.

Because of these qualities, he challenged her, fought one-to-one against her and danced a dance of destruction and danger with her, ultimately winning their momentary spar because her fast, relentless attacks finally took a toll on her stamina. Despite losing their match, she still continued fighting against him with no decrease in fervor which made him admire her fiery attitude.

As the blonde and raven haired fell in their battle, the army claimed their victory and ownership of the land. Many had been taken hostage, including the trio and a handful of rebels whose skills would be useful to them. Even if they wouldn't submit to him now, he would make sure they would eventually.

But unlike the other hostages, he took the pink haired girl to the castle while the others were sent to a prison north in the mountains. She had requested, no demanded that she joined her friends in their imprisonment. He merely refused her the privilege and that was all to make her come at him and scream that she would have vengeance o_n his ass, _which amused him because it was like seeing a kitten being angry.

He knew very well that she would hate him, despise him like the soldiers she struck down. It makes no difference if she hated him, she would at the end of the day be by his side at the throne. He would steal her heart's greatest desire, give it to her or hang it above her head until she gave him what he wanted. This would be a fun game. After all, he had all the time in the world and he liked his women hard-to-get.

-o-

"I can only hope you are doing well."

-o-

After the war ungraciously pulled all her loved ones away and burned down the dazzling city that she held dearly to her heart, she was now a prisoner, a slave of war to the man who brutally conquered their holy land.

She hated him the moment the very moment her green eyes latched onto his figure. She hated the way he confidently strode to her in their battle, the way he would smile mockingly at her as they exchanged parries and thrusts as if he knew very well he would **win. **She only blamed herself for losing, if she hadn't wasted so much energy in battling the small fries, she would have been able to defeat him or at least, punch the filthy smirk off his smug face.

She was sitting in her private dungeon, reminiscing the times where she would eat Sasuke's english muffins for breakfast, train with Naruto in the afternoon until her limbs gave up on her at sunset and again, eat whatever Sasuke cooked up for dinner and retire to their shared bedrooms, taking turns as to who would sleep where and sometimes, Kakashi would occasionally join in their little sleepover.

She choked back a sob, she missed them. If she could only be with them, this confinement would mean nothing to her. Clutching the Cross tightly in her palm, she spoke in a voice that was not like her usual tone and prayed. She prayed for the people who have fallen in battle, prayed that they are now resting in peace. She prayed for her friends, hoping that the Lord has them under his divine protection no matter where they were. But most of all.

She prayed for her freedom.

-o-

"I hope Sakura-chan's fine. Who knows what that Shisui teme would do to her," Naruto whined worriedly. Beside him came a soft, defeated sigh from Sasuke who shared the blonde's sentiment about the situation.

The three of them were separated, Naruto and him along with the other prisoners were sent to a penitentiary high in the mountains surrounded by a lush forestry of tall, thick trees and very annoying animals. He remembered the walk to prison, the journey was harsh. The route was narrow and slippery, the rain poured down liquid fury onto them relentlessly and they had to brave the journey out, never having allowed to stop anywhere for shelter.

That wasn't as bad as the journey through the mountain- the pathway was steep and inclined at an awkward angle, the increase in altitude made him feel dizzy, breathless and sleepy. Often times, he had to slap himself and roughly shake Naruto awake so that he wouldn't fall to his death like the other unfortunate prisoners who did with a very piercing shriek.

After finally reaching the mountain, all of them collapsed in exhaustion. Many of the people were either fever-stricken or fainted due to the harsh, unforgiving journey they unwillingly persevered through.

One of the many people who were affected by the fever was their silver haired teacher. They were surprised when they found out that Kakashi contracted a fever and even attended to him personally which to no avail, hasn't showed any positive signs of recovery after two weeks but thankfully, he wasn't getting any worse either.

If only Sakura were here, Kakashi slipped out in his feverish state of mind as he tossed and turn around like a madman while Sasuke wrapped his blanket around Kakashi, hoping that it would warm his body up. Naruto entered the cell with porridge and some herbal medicine to remedy Kakashi's problem.

"Teme, you should go. If you stay in here with us too long, they'll start suspecting the wrong things and then you'll be whipped."

"What's a few whips compared to life imprisonment, usuratonkachi."

"What's life imprisonment when compared to being stoned to death, teme."

He didn't respond but left the blonde to do the rest of the work. After all, Naruto was the better healer as he has first-hand experience in dealing with the sick and also taught one-to-one by Sakura in basic first aid. If anything, he was a better fit to take care of Kakashi than himself.

He held the Cross in his pocket, a gift from Sakura for his 18th birthday. He took it out and held it to his lips, praying for the opportunity to kickstart the rebellion for freedom alongside their side mission to save Sakura as well.

It was not that he didn't believe in Sakura's capabilities in saving herself, it was his cousin's impeccable foresight that would prevent her from doing so. The soldiers who survived their battles against him have spoken in fear about his abilities on the battlefied, how he could appear anywhere and everywhere at the blink of an eye, how he used just his raw strength to win the war.

Whether Shisui was either very strong or using the optical illusions against his opponents was a totally different story which he has no knowledge of, their escape would be a challenging feat to accomplish. He had to carefully plan for their escape, he had to think like Itachi.

_NEIGH!_

He looked out the window, noticing a few men with their carriages and riding their horses, no doubt bringing in the food rations for prisoners like him. The unknown men showed their identification before the guard nodded at the gatekeeper. The gatekeepers opened the gates, allowing the unknown men to enter the sombre vicinity.

Maybe, their escape would prove easier than he thought.

-o-

After two weeks of her imprisonment, she was upgraded from a war prisoner to Shisui's personal, scullery maid. After dismissing the services of his usual waiter, he brought her into his personal chambers and announced that she would bring him his meals. The reason being was that the dungeon wasn't a place for her to live in.

Bullshit.

She knew very well why he made her his personal maid- it was to piss her off and pissed her off it did, he made her do the most mundane things that he could do himself. On the first day, he made her pick up his clothes while he was in the shower. Second day, she had to carry the mountain-like stack from the library all the way into his personal work chamber. Third day, he asked her to pick up a pencil he dropped.

It took every ounce of her willpower to not punch the smug bastard even if he did deserve it. For now, her only task was to just deliver his last meal and she would be done, FINISHED.

"Sakura-chan, you better hurry with the meal~"

She **hated **him **so much.**

Finally reaching the dreaded destination, she knocked on the door three times before opening it and pushing the tray with his meal into the room.

"I brought your m- OH MY GOD!"

There he was sitting on his work desk, stark naked with the curtains pushed aside, lettting the light further illuminate his nude state. She closed her eyes, feeling quite embarrassed with his bold exhibitionism. She tried to forget what she saw, but it was hard.

She saw how well defined his muscles were, how they were accentuated with rough lines from years of vigorous physical training and long battle scars jagged all around them, a testament of the number of wars he contributed his strength to.

Lean but packed quite a lot of muscle. To her, his body was the perfect embodiment of Adonis and thankfully, he had a book placed at crotch level or she would've threw a knife at it and screaming at him to cover himself up.

"Many women have seen me this way, you know."

"And I don't wish to associate myself so can you just cover up!"

"Only after you feed me," she stared straight at him in disbelief, how dare he treat her this way!

She did it albeit reluctantly - Slowly bringing the cart to him and feeding him, all the while her eyes never strayed from his face, something he felt very satisfied about by the way he flashed his stupid smile at her.

_Clank!_

_He slapped the metal cutlery from her friends and pulled her into his naked embrace as he brought his mouth to her smooth neck, licking and blowing a gust of air over it repeatedly. She gasped, heat spreading to her face and her body freezing up unconveniently. She didn't like where this was going. _

_She tried to push him away, but his hold on her waist was too strong and she came colliding head first on his bare chest. She tried to sit straight but again, he held her tightly to his chest while his lips were positioned beside her ear._

"Have you ever heard of vampires, mon ami?" He asked in a whisper.

"I have but they are merely old wives tales, meant to scare children. I'm not a child!"

The door opened and she focused her attention on the councellor who came in looking quite confused. She wouldn't blame him, she would be confused too if she saw the conqueror naked with a woman sprawled in his chest.

Shisui wrapped his arms around her even tighter, this time more possessive and dominating. The councellor bowed in apology and hurriedly left, seeing his own Conqueror's glare of doom despite Sakura's small prayer that he would stay and help her.

Sakura turned back to Shisui, glaring at him with a slight pout on those pink lips he loved. He liked seeing her angry at him, relished in her anger even.

"So the story is, once upon a time, a human promised the devil his soul if he gave him the power to conquer over the lands. Long story short, the human drank the devil's blood, received godlike abilities and deceived by the devil who afterwards, turned him into a creature of the night."

"That was boring. No plot, no motives and all I get is just a brief summary. You are the worst storyteller I've met and that says something."

He laughed even harder, this time covering his face in the curvature of her exposed neck. He nuzzled her neck, making her 'eep' meekly as his fingers ventured downwards, stroking her covered thighs and whispering his next question.

"What do you want my love?"

"I want you to let me go!"

He flipped her over, stacks of papers flying around as the table started to crack from his rough treatment of her. He ominously towered over her, locking her wrists with one hand as he settled his weight on her waist and she winced, he was pretty damned heavy.

She shook her arms vigorously, shook her body without abandon to push him off her so that she could run but he was too damned strong for her own feeble self, coupled with aching limbs and vertigo plagued senses, she was powerless against him.

She closed her eyes, submitting to her fate which was death by the man on top of her. She only prayed to god that it would be quick and painless, hoping that Naruto and Sasuke would forgive her cowardly self.

Drip!

She popped her eyes open, her face paled in terror as she saw Shisui's mouth dyed a dark, liquid red while his own blood gushed out from his bite mark and dripped onto her face. Shisui smirked at her, the lively dark red now staining the mortal pallor of her frightened expression.

He held his arm just inches away from her slightly opened mouth to let his blood drip in. She spat the metallic tang out immediately and glared at him, infuriated by his sadistic games. No longer would she play the submissive role in this situation.

"LET ME GO I'VE HAD ENOUGH WITH YOUR GA-" she stopped halfway, his fangs were bared and his eyes were not his usual coal colors, they were red with a strange symbol in them.

"You should start believing in vampires now, mon ami. After all, I am your way to freedom."


	2. Chapter 2

Bold

Part II

**Here is the second part of this short series. I hope you all enjoy it! Please review, favorite and alert! Thank you for reading and again, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

><p><em>"But mama, what are scarier than wolves? Aren't wolves supposed to be the scariest?" The younger Sakura asked as she nestled closer to her mother's warmth in this cold, dark night. Her mother laughed at her childish fears and toyed with her hair, combing through the messy strands to calm the little girl down. After all, it was merely a tale of fiction that had been the subject of her storytelling tonight.<em>

_A tale that was passed to her mother from her grandmother from her grandmother's mother. A tale that was created for the future generation as a lesson to protect them from doing things that the people of the past have regret doing just adapted to a fairy tale so that children could understand. After all, the key to effective prevention is starting from a young age._

_"Well Sakura, as you get older, you find that some scary things are not so scary at all but there are more scarier things you have ever imagined," her mother ended the session, tucking little Sakura in and kissing her forehead before she left the room for the night. _

_That night little Sakura didn't sleep because the imagery of a werewolf with red eyes, stalking you in your sleep as it waited for the perfect moment to eat their victim had struck fear into little Sakura. She huddled to herself, curling her body into a ball before she made a run for it and dove straight into her parents' bed for safety. _

_As Sakura grew older, she found out that her mother couldn't have been more right._

_-o-_

_" You should start believing in vampires, mon ami. After all, I am your way to freedom."_

Her thrashing stopped, staring at him with startled green eyes and a sense of fear accumulating in her heaving chest. She gave no sound of protest as his blood dripped continuously on her deathly pale skin. She was lying under him, stunned and he smiled at her meek lamblike behavior.

He liked it when his prey cowered in fear, the terrified look in their eyes made his chest swell with morbid fascination and the need to dominate intensified. She like his other victims were unyielding, fighting against his every need with every fibre of their being until he revealed this part of himself : The vampire.

But unlike his other victims, she didn't fall under the enchantment of his eyes as she stared straight into them. He couldn't feel her wanton increasing through his heightened senses nor did he feel fear rise in her bones- she had a steadfast immunity to his charm, making her appear more attractive in his eyes.

So he tested the waters, moving his wounded arm around her exposed skin and letting his blood drip to see whether she would struggle against him. To his surprise, she didn't struggle and the blood on her smooth skin reminded him of the battles he faced in the winter- A canvas of pure white with gruesome splatters of deep, dark red splashed on the snowy plain.

"Poor little lamb," he said as he slowly stroked her jaw with the back of his fingers. "Afraid of a little wolf eating her up."

Beneath him, she only had one thing in mind : running away from him. She wanted to move, to escape from this man because she realized that this man was not the average man she could easily defeat. She defeated generals, challenged the most wanted of criminals and won. But with this man, she knew that she couldn't win. He was faster, better and stronger. He was a man who conquered thousands by himself.

He was the lightning-breaker.

So she played the submissive role in their game of predator and prey. She thought of shaking him off but thought it unwise because he rested his weight on her waist, effectively limiting her movements and trapping her beneath him. He would also have to get bored of her submission soon enough. After all, she didn't need to have the brain of a genius to figure out that he liked his women challenging.

But even she didn't like the dripping sensation of his blood on her skin. With each drop, her nerves were starting to unhinge and she only prayed that she had enough patience to play the role of a damsel in distress or she would seriously punch the smug smirk off his pretty face.

He hips slightly jerked upwards, startled by the man's sudden movement. She heard a fabric being fished out before he tied the material around her wrists tightly, another way to keep him under him. He stood up straight and observed her from above with an expression she couldn't read which worried her.

She flinched again, feeling his rough fingertips on her chest being slowly dragged upwards and drawing small swirls on her skin before they reached her chin. He gripped the sides of her chin and viciously jerked it towards him, forcing her to look directly at him. For a split second, her eyes did meet his own but they quickly shifted to the floor- cursing him to the sulphuric pits of hell.

He sat her up and pulled her against his broad chest, placing his lips beside her heated ears.

"Now what is it that you greatly desire, **Sakura?" **He whispered to her in a sultry tone, petting her head and combing through the messy strands of her pink hair with his finers. This affectionate gesture confused her; One moment he was ready to feel her up and the next he treated her so delicately, like she was his treasure. Either way, she didn't like both moods.

"It's rude to not reply someone, Sakura-chan," he cooed out softly, one hand tucking a stray lock of hair. They were both silent for a time- calm, charming coal eyes met resentful, aggravated green eyes.

He rested his head on her shoulder and she could feel his hot breath fanning her neck, making the hairs on her neck stand and 'certain' feelings to surface. She held her breath, feeling the soft pressure from his lips on her neck slowly make it's way downwards to her scantily dressed chest. She made a note to wear more modest clothes in the future, if he ever provided her with it.

She hissed at the sensation, clenching her fists as he dedicated a generous amount of love bites to her chest before he made one on her neck. She really didn't know whether she could withstand his sinful ministrations, she was scared of losing herself to him because whatever he was doing was giving her wicked pleasure and he was just starting. She didn't know whether to curse her inexperience or be thankful because he was the person that would be her first.

_Oh god!_

Now she finally understood why Naruto liked kissing Hinata so much.

This man sealed her lips in slow yet passionate kiss. Through that kiss, he made her forget everything : her anger, her values and resolve. All she could think of was that she wanted him to kiss her more and not stop. She gasped as he lifted by her soft derriere, thrusting his tongue into her mouth and taking advantage of her light-headed state.

They parted for air, she was panting heavily while he watched the blush brought some color to her cheeks. He knew he had her, he had brought out her lust and knew that she wanted the feeling of skin against skin in their own wicked embrace for physical gratification. He would give it to her, show her what passion truly was.

Or to put it simply, he would ruin sex for her.

She had her head bowed, fingers clasping an object that he couldn't see and mumbling things he couldn't understand.

"Not all of us want sex."

She met his eyes with her own defiant eyes and pressed a cross to his chest, making him cry out in pain and viciously pushing her off him from the burning sensation on his chest. Wasting no time, she pumped whatever energy she had into her legs and she ran out of the room, ran wherever her legs took her and never looked back.

* * *

><p>She pushed through the doors of the bathroom and locked them. She stood in front of the mirror and stretched her neck, counting the amount of hickeys he generously gave her with disgust. She used the water from the spring inside the bathroom and rinsed the blood off her skin, scrubbing the dirty feeling of his blood off her skin.<p>

She was thankful for that moment where they parted their lips for air. Because of that one moment she was able to clear her mind to think clearly in her haze of lust and catch Shisui off guard with her stunt. She was amazed that she could regain her thoughts in such a short time because she wouldn't deny that truly, he was a fantastic lover of that passion.

But her resolve proved to be stronger than her carnal needs and she would prove to him, over and over again that she would win against him. No matter the odds.

She walked over to the door and stopped in front of it. Her heart was racing, her legs trembling and her palms sweaty. She was scared.

Because leaving the bathroom meant leaving security. If she left the bathroom, he could easily hunt her down and drag her to his private quarters to finish what they started. She didn't want to see him but she couldn't stay in here forever, eventually she would need to nourish herself. But she didn't want to get caught and be the subject of his sadistic games again.

_Knock knock!_

"Shisui-sama has left the vicinity and asked that you behave in his absence," a soft female voice spoke behind the door before leaving. Sakura felt relief wash over her tired mind. It was better that she didn't see him twice today, it would only be a recipe for disaster.

So she opened the door and walked out to the hallways, heading to her sleeping quarters where she could rest for the day or three. Hopefully, he would be gone long enough for her to recover mentally because even now, she could feel his heated glare pierce into her back. She rubbed both of her arms to get rid of the coldness she felt, feeling uncomfortable walking through these dark hallways alone.

* * *

><p>He was definitely taken off guard by her desperate stunt.<p>

For all of his strength and endurance that was borderline Godly, even he wasn't impervious to a religious symbol or silver. The Cross that she stamped on her chest (whether she'd been aware of the material composition) had both of them and they had proven to be an effective remedy against his libido. He would give her credit, she succeeded in stalling his advances on her.

But for how long?

Finally reaching the penitentiary, he swiftly hopped off his horse and marched through the gates without a word to the guards who were surprised at his sudden arrival. This visit was strictly private and short so there was no need for a banquet to welcome him. Also, he didn't want to cause too much trouble because **they **were here.

As he walked through the penitentiary square, he caused a stir with his presence alone. The grace in his stride and nonchalant expression betrayed the merciless man he really was, the people were livid at the sight of him but decided against confronting him directly. After all, confrontation with the Great Conquerer meant certain death and all of them wanted to live.

The attention didn't bother him because he wanted one thing alone. He entered the private quarters of a woman chained to a wall, dismissing the guard so that his conversation with this woman would be only between him and her. The woman lifted her head, eyes unfocused but a condescending expression she donned on her age weary countenance.

"Why, what pleasure do I owe to the Great Conqueror?"

"A fortune telling, is what I want. After all, you used to humor my family with your predictions and they were quite accurate, too accurate for my mother's liking."

"Your mother thought I would be the cause of her death. As for you, all I can see through my blind eyes is a lady you're trying very hard to woo but you're failing and you came to me for guidance. It would be flattering to me if that were true," she said with a rather knowing smile on her lips and he laughed, confirming the truth of her deduction.

"If you're going to lecture me about marriage, then save it. I am going to charm this woman or I would die trying."

"Young man, your lifespan is give and take 5000 years longer than her's so you might as well marry her now before she dies first," she quipped back sarcastically, again making him lose his composure in a fit of laughter. He really loved the old woman's sense of humor, he only wished that she would follow him back to the castle with him. He only hoped that the guards were treating her well.

"Young man," she called, holding his hand protectively. "I see in your future, that you would be forced to lose something important to you and I fear that it might be the empire you have struggled to build. Shisui, please, **be careful."**

He held her hand tightly and kissed it before he let go, signaling the end of their conversation. He called for the guard and left the quarters, urgency and determination building in his chest. The soothsayer's words were alarming and he knew well enough to know that she wouldn't lie as she gave advice to him with his safety as her only concern.

"General, I would like to sp-"

"The only thing you'll be speaking to is my fist."

A fist was launched his way, a move that he intercepted easily with the help of his quick reflexes. He arched an inquisitive eyebrow until he let a smirk bloom on his lips when he identified the unknown brute, expecting this person to show up eventually.

"Long time no see, Sasuke. I take it that you enjoy your time here?" He asked mockingly, receiving only a glare from the raven-haired youngster. Shisui released his cousin's fist and placed both hands behind his back, showing that he didn't want to start a fight. Not when his cousin didn't look like he was in a proper fighting condition.

"Where is Sakura?" Sasuke asked crossed.

"She is surviving that much I can say. But she's quite the spitifire."

"Cut the crap, Shisui. What have you done with her?!" Sasuke roared, fed up with his cousin's penchant for cryptic answers. A crowd started to gather around them, faces mixed with fear and anticipation. Where Sasuke looked determined in starting a fight, he stood generally calm and relaxed in the middle of it all.

"What are all of you doing? GET BACK TO YOUR STATIONS!" the General shouted, making the crowd disperse in a hurry while Sasuke stood there, chest rising because of his heavy breaths and a permanent glare etched itself on his face. A blonde ran towards him, pulling him away before his cousin could cause any more trouble. Shisui watched the two of them, thinking what punishment would suit them best.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes I did. In fact, I have a task for you and it involves the group that was recently thrown in here," he replied before making his way to the general's office to discuss matters regarding his cousin and the group in a more private manner. He had a task set for them.

* * *

><p>"More! More! More!"<p>

The crowd chanted wildly, giving support to the man in front of her to deliver the final blow which would bring about her defeat in this match.

She rubbed her bruised mouth with the back of her palm, positioning her fists in a defensive stance so she could defend herself once more from this man's devastating hits. Fighting in a practice session was far, FAR different than fighting in a ring : If in practice the opponents were merciful, then the ring was full of barbarians.

She participated in today's match after seeing some of these fighters go a few rounds at each other. She thought that it would be easy to defeat them, given her experience of fighting against Naruto, Sasuke, occasionally Kakashi and being able to hold her own against them. As she stepped into the ring, she found that her experience was nothing compared to the skill this man had in combat.

He delivered a swift uppercut her way which she narrowly missed with a roll to the left, getting up to her feet quickly despite the aches she felt in her limbs. This man circled her, imitating the movement of a lion in scaring it's prey while she watched him with her focus solely on him, determined not to lose this fight. But even her determination was proving hard to uphold when you're trying to catch your breath and your line of sight is starting to blur, obscuring your view of the opponent and giving him an advantage.

She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, recalling the words Kakashi gave to her in their practice session.

_"When you meet resistance, you must be able to switch direction at a moment's notice."_

She opened her eyes, throwing herself forward for another roll to avoid her opponent's attack. One more hit and she would be out. She would have to be precise and calculative in her next move, she would have to strike this final move at the right moment for if she missed, her body would give into exhaustion and she would be at her opponent's mercy, which he had none as far as her bruises were concerned.

He trapped her in a corner, the thought of her defeat playing in his mind. He cracked his knuckles and readied his stance once more, smirking arrogantly as he looked down at her like a predator closing in on it's helpless prey.

"Ready to lose, young lady?"

"I'm more prepared to take you down," she challenged back defiantly, prepared.

He brought his foot forward and channeled his strength into his fist, aiming it towards the pinkette who stayed in her position. She closed her eyes and anticipated the hit, slowly counting the vital seconds that would lead to the conclusion of this match.

_1_

_2.._

_3!_

The crowd was in a standstill, unsure of what had happened. Everything seemed to happen so quickly, it became a blur.

"The winner is... HARUNO SAKURA!"

She stood up sluggishly, thrusting her arms upwards in a victory pose but could not jump to show the pride and happiness she felt swelling in her chest. She had proven triumphant against the once confident man who lied on the ring passed out. She took out the Cross from her pocket and kissed it, thanking God for giving her a sudden insight into her opponent's weakness.

She stashed her Cross back into her pocket, waving to the crowd who cheered her name. She could feel the twinge of pain and pang of soreness that gnawed in her limbs, she was definitely not in the shape to go anywhere at this point. Her eyes shot wide open, an alarming thought occurred in her mind.

How was she going to get back to the castle?

* * *

><p>"Sasuke, you're not usually this restless," Ino noted as she swabbed the disinfectant on Sasuke's wound. He sat beside her wordless, letting her do whatever she needed to treat the wound on his left eyebrow which made his headache worsen because of the smell.<p>

But even he admitted that Ino was right; He was restless and it was starting to trouble everyone. The pressure of waiting added with his worry for Sakura's safety was definitely getting to him. He hissed out in frustration, startling Ino and making her retract her hands from working on his face. He merely nodded at Ino to continue which she did with more hesitation and wariness in her movement.

He directed his attention to the sound of fabric rustling, watching Naruto come in with a warm tray of food for three. Naruto sat cross legged beside Kakashi and served him first, passing a bowl of porridge into Kakashi's expectant hands. Luckily for the both of them, Kakashi recovered from his fever and was slowly gaining his strength. He would be able to perform the daily chores assigned soon enough but for now, he would have to settle with recovering from his bed.

Ino finished her treatment, keeping all the medical equipment properly and hurriedly left the boy's quarters as to give them privacy. Sasuke walked over and sat beside them, taking the rice dish that Naruto kept for him and ate it silently.

"Am.. I too impatient?" Sasuke said breaking the silence, voicing the insecurity that plagued him for the past few weeks. Naruto and Kakashi stopped eating and looked at each other, not used to Sasuke asking them about them about what he felt let alone voice out his most personal thoughts to people other than Sakura.

"No one could blame you for wanting to escape badly, " Kakashi reassured, hoping that it would help ease the tension that Sasuke was feeling.

Even he himself missed the fresh air and being able to read his books freely but now they were stuck in a dull penitentiary which he hoped not to be imprisoned too long. He only hoped that his body would fully recover and be in tip top condition by the end of this week so that they could start planning the escape thoroughly. Like Sasuke, he was worried for Sakura wellbeing in Shisui's hands and only wanted to see her safe, alive.

"But we don't know anything about this place. All we know about it is we're all stuck in a mountain surrounded by forests on the way down and Kami knows what animals are in that forest," Naruto added grimly as he stabbed his chicken to cut it into small chunks and eat it with his starchy rice.

"Then may I join in this conversation?"

All of them turned to the bored-sounding voice at the door : Shikamaru. He entered the room with his hands in his pocket and sat beside Sasuke to join their circle of conversation. All of them lowered their meals to the floor, patiently waiting for Shikamaru's part of the conversation.

"It would only be troublesome if we tried to escape now because the number of guards around the perimeter outnumber us even if you three were to join in the fight. So I suggest we wait it out."

"Then we would be waiting for death if we were to wait for the suitable time."

"This is where you're wrong Sasuke. I've talked to some of the prisoners that have been here for a long time and they said that the number of guards only increased when we arrived here. If we behave well enough, the number of guards should diminish gradually for us to make a stealthy escape."

"Then where do you suggest we go to gather supplies? We don't have exact knowledge of the terrain nor the villages that are nearby," said Kakashi as he was curious about where this plan was heading.

"Kiba said that he heard the general receiving orders for us to move to another prison that is nearer to the Lake of the Crescent moon island. For what reason, we do not know but we suspect Shisui had a say in this change."

"So why don't we escape along the way? Wouldn't it be easier to just clobber the guards and make a run for it?" Naruto asked with a rather exaggerated almost comical disbelief in his voice. Shikamaru rubbed the temples of his forehead and sighed loudly, probably very tired of this conversation although it has only started.

"Look, if we try and along the way, we don't know anything about the place and we would only get caught before reaching the border. What I suggest is we get to Crescent Moon Island to explore the area to find out everything we need to know to make this escape because the chances of making a stealthy escape is higher there," Shikamaru explained lengthily, making Naruto finally understand the meaning under Shikamaru's course of action.

"But for this escape to happen, obviously we would need the help of the Hyuuga's who happen to be prisoners at the penitentiary at Crescent Moon Island. Sasuke, I trust that you can help in releasing them?"

"Hn," Sasuke replied simply. In his mind, he called out to Sakura. Asking her to wait just a bit longer and hoped that Shisui wouldn't break her spirit.

* * *

><p>She sat in front of the library fireplace, warming her shivering body from the harsh coldness she faced in returning home. Heck, she was lucky enough to return home safe and without much effort on her part, thank Heavens.<p>

As she stumbled out of the ring, a few men had noticed that she was swaying in her movements and had bruises on her body. They had offered her to ride at the back of their carriage filled with hay. Although she felt hay tickling the back of her body and not being able to lie down was quite uncomfortable, these men allowed her to pitch a ride on their carriage and for that she was grateful.

She rested her head against the cushion of the library seat, savoring the warmth slowly seeping into her body and allowing herself to rest awhile before she started the troublesome process of nursing the bruises on her aching limbs.

Feeling all kinds of pain settle into her body wasn't what she had in mind of relaxing herself but it proved to be quite relieving. Fighting in the ring, feeling the adrenaline rush through her veins and having to quickly adapt a strategy to win was what she needed to make herself feel at peace with her predicament despite her inexperience of being in such fights becoming a minor drawback.

It boosted her ego, gave her drive a stronger resolve to grip on so that she wouldn't give up easily. If she could defeat that man, then slowly and surely, she could defeat Shisui.

"I see the princess has finally returned," she groaned at the voice she hated hearing mock her in his cheeky tone. He stepped out of the darkness, finally revealing his position in the room before he walked over to her to examine her weary body. She really didn't have the energy to scream at him about her dislike about him touching her. Only she could hope that he didn't have any funny ideas that he wanted to experiment on her.

He could see deep splotches of blue-black on her arms and a cut on her lower lip. He would be able tofind more if she hadn't so testily swat his hands away from the hem of her garments, glaring at him because of the resentment she had for he had treated her with such disrespect last time they met. He back off, resting his back on the seat opposite of the pinkette and watch her every move.

"I watched you fight today."

"I didn't realize his majesty had time to watch spars between plebeians," she quipped with her eyes closed and a natural, relaxed tone in her tired voice. He laughed at her rebuttal, amused that she could maintain her level of snark even in the most exhausted of states. The both of them stayed silent for a time, accompanied by the sound of fire cackling and her shallow breathing.

He knew he had to say it eventually. He was getting nowhere when it came to her interests but this wall where she didn't want to talk to him, was a challenge he could only overcome through this way alone. There were other ways considering but they would only make her hate him more.

"I'm sorry, he finally said, conjuring a sleepy reaction from the woman in front of him. She didn't look surprised nor startled, just cute by the way her eyes were half-lidded and her lips pouted like a child as she stared at him. She closed her eyes and let the natural tone of her voice return her part of the conversation.

"I didn't think his majesty was capable of asking for forgiveness."

"And his majesty is also capable of giving you training, if you want," he offered, receiving a small smile from her before she nestled in the cushion of the seat once more. Shoulders relaxed and hands placed at her lap as her breathing became shallow.

He decided to do a good deed for this woman and scooped her up into his arms gently as to not wake her up. This time there were no shouts of protests nor her wildly thrashing about. It was just her, nuzzling closer into the warmth of his body and unconciously adjusting herself so that she could be comfortable in his arms as he carried through the dark hallways.

He was flattered for her attention; ocasionally ruffling her hair, finding that she leaned into his touch and sighed blissfully at the gesture. He rested her sleeping body in his bed, nursing her wounds himself so that she would feel better tomorrow. He would have to settle with sleeping on his desk but he didn't mind, the comfort of his pink haired companion mattered far more than his own.

After all, he was serious when he had said that he would charm her or die trying.


End file.
